U.S. patent number 10,541,158 [Application Number 15/656,328] was granted by the patent office on 2020-01-21 for temperature adjustment method using wet surface in a processing chamber.
This patent grant is currently assigned to TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED. The grantee listed for this patent is TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED. Invention is credited to Eiichiro Kikuchi, Kazuyoshi Matsuzaki, Yasuharu Sasaki.
United States Patent |
10,541,158 |
Sasaki , et al. |
January 21, 2020 |
Temperature adjustment method using wet surface in a processing
chamber
Abstract
A temperature adjustment method comprising: forming a wet
surface wet with a cooling medium by supplying the cooling medium
to a rear surface of a temperature adjustment surface of a
component member in a processing chamber of a substrate processing
device comprising the processing chamber which performs
predetermined processing on a substrate and is vacuum-exhaustible;
and adjusting a temperature of the temperature adjustment surface
due to latent heat of evaporation of the cooling medium by
evaporating the cooling medium which forms the wet surface by
adjusting a pressure in an evaporation chamber which isolates the
wet surface from an atmosphere around the wet surface.
Inventors: |
Sasaki; Yasuharu (Nirasaki,
JP), Kikuchi; Eiichiro (Nirasaki, JP),
Matsuzaki; Kazuyoshi (Nirasaki, JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED |
Tokyo |
N/A |
JP |
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Assignee: |
TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED (Tokyo,
JP)
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Family
ID: |
45593134 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/656,328 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20170323811 A1 |
Nov 9, 2017 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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13213234 |
Aug 19, 2011 |
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61382545 |
Sep 14, 2010 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Aug 20, 2010 [JP] |
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2010-184996 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L
21/67109 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01L
21/67 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2627561 |
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1632161 |
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Jun 2005 |
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CN |
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101162133 |
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Apr 2008 |
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CN |
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101414546 |
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Apr 2009 |
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CN |
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2799589 |
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Nov 2014 |
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EP |
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03004927 |
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Jan 1991 |
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JP |
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0348853 |
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May 1991 |
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JP |
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03192644 |
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Aug 1991 |
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JP |
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10284382 |
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Oct 1998 |
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JP |
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2005079539 |
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Mar 2005 |
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JP |
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2005109375 |
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Apr 2005 |
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JP |
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2006005364 |
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Jan 2006 |
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JP |
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2010113875 |
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Oct 2010 |
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WO |
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Other References
Huang, Peng, et al., "A Design Method to Improve Temperature
Uniformity on Wafer for Rapid Thermal Processing". Electronics,
2018, 7, 213, pp. 1-8. cited by examiner .
Hanks, Daniel F., et al., "Nanoporous membrane device for ultra
high heat flux thermal management". Microsystems &
Nanoengineering (2018)4:1, pp. 1-10. cited by examiner .
Battaglin, Felipe, et al., "Innovative Low Temperature Plasma
Approach for Deposition of Alumina Films". Materials Research,
2014; 17(6), pp. 1410-1419. cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Chen; Bret P
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cantor Colburn LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional application of U.S. application
Ser. No. 13/213,234 (now abandoned), filed on Aug. 19, 2011, which
claims priority to and the benefit of Japanese Patent Application
No. 2010-184996, filed on Aug. 20, 2010, in the Japanese Patent
Office, and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/382,545, filed on Sep.
14, 2010, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the
entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A temperature adjustment method comprising: forming a wet
surface wet with a cooling medium by supplying the cooling medium
to a rear surface of a temperature adjustment surface of a
component member in a processing chamber of a substrate processing
device comprising the processing chamber which performs
predetermined processing on a substrate and is vacuum-exhaustible;
and adjusting a temperature of the temperature adjustment surface
due to latent heat of evaporation of the cooling medium by
evaporating the cooling medium which forms the wet surface by
adjusting a pressure in an evaporation chamber which isolates the
wet surface from an atmosphere around the wet surface, wherein the
cooling medium is supplied to the rear surface by surface tension
by making the rear surface as un uneven surface on which a
plurality of convex portions are formed, and providing a cooling
medium container which contains the cooling medium which is
disposed in the evaporation chamber while the convex portions are
partially immersed in the cooling medium container, or wherein the
cooling medium is supplied to the rear surface by providing a
plurality of shower devices in which an upper portion is attached
to the rear surface, a middle portion is extended from the upper
portion downward, a lower portion is extended side by side from the
bottom of the middle portion, and the cooling medium is sprayed
from a nozzle of the lower portion upward to wet the rear surface,
or wherein the cooling medium is supplied to the rear surface by
disposing a porous layer to contact the rear surface, water is
supplied as the cooling medium from a water supply source to the
porous layer to exude out from a surface of the porous layer, with
the surface of the porous layer being adjacent to an evaporation
room, and thus the wet surface wet with the water is formed on the
surface of the porous layer.
2. The temperature adjustment method of claim 1, wherein the
forming of the wet surface comprises controlling the temperature of
the temperature adjustment surface based on the pressure in the
evaporation chamber and/or an amount of the cooling medium
supplied.
3. The temperature adjustment method of claim 2, wherein after the
pressure in the evaporation chamber is set to a pressure lower than
a saturated vapor pressure of the cooling medium, the amount of the
cooling medium supplied is adjusted, thereby controlling the
temperature of the temperature adjustment surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus
including a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting a temperature
of a surface of a component member in a processing chamber and a
temperature adjustment method of adjusting the temperature of the
surface of the component member in the processing chamber of the
substrate processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined
processing on various substrates including a semiconductor wafer
includes, for example, a processing chamber which is
vacuum-exhaustible, a substrate holding stage (susceptor) on which
a substrate is held in the processing chamber, and a shower head
which faces the substrate holding stage with a processing space
therebetween, generates plasma from a process gas due to high
frequency power applied to any one of the susceptor and the shower
head, and performs plasma processing such as etching, film
formation, or the like, on the substrate by using the generated
plasma.
In such a substrate processing apparatus, temperatures of the
substrate and the susceptor on which the substrate is held are
adjusted, for example, as follows. That is, a cooling medium
passage, for example, having an annular shape and extending in a
circumferential direction is provided in the susceptor and a low
temperature cooling medium is circulated in the cooling medium
passage through, for example, a pipe for the cooling medium from a
chiller unit so that the susceptor cooled by the circulated cooling
medium cools the substrate through, for example, an electrostatic
chuck (ESC), thereby processing heat input from plasma or the
like.
Also, recently, a substrate processing apparatus for cooling by
using evaporation heat (hereinafter, latent heat of evaporation) of
a cooling medium which is circulated in a cooling medium passage
has been suggested (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
However, in a substrate processing apparatus using a temperature
adjustment method of circulating a cooling medium, if an amount of
heat input due to plasma or the like is high, since a temperature
of the cooling medium should be further reduced and an amount of
the cooling medium circulated should be increased, a wide
installation space for installing a temperature adjustment unit
having great cooling performance is needed. Also, since a lower
space inside the susceptor is limited, there is a case where the
temperature adjustment unit cannot be installed in the substrate
processing apparatus.
Also, in a substrate processing apparatus including a cooling unit
using latent heat of evaporation of a cooling medium, since a
circulation line, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve,
and so on only for the cooling unit are needed, a configuration of
the apparatus is complicated.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.
2005-079539
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above and/or other problems, the present invention
provides a substrate processing apparatus including a temperature
adjustment unit which can reduce an installation space and simplify
a configuration of the apparatus, and a temperature adjustment
method of adjusting a temperature of a component member in a
processing chamber in the substrate processing apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a substrate processing apparatus including: a processing chamber in
which predetermined processing is performed on a substrate and
which is vacuum-exhaustible; a wet surface forming device which
forms a surface wet with a cooling medium on a rear surface of a
temperature adjustment surface of a component member in the
processing chamber; an evaporation chamber which isolates the wet
surface from an atmosphere around the wet surface; and a pressure
adjustment device which adjusts a pressure in the evaporation
chamber, wherein the pressure in the evaporation chamber is
adjusted by using the pressure adjustment device such that the
cooling medium which forms the wet surface is evaporated, thereby
controlling a temperature of the temperature adjustment surface due
to latent heat of evaporation of the cooling medium.
A plurality of the temperature adjustment surfaces may be present
on a plurality of places of a surface of the component member, and
the wet surface forming device, the evaporation chamber, and the
pressure adjustment device may be provided on each of the plurality
of temperature adjustment surfaces.
The pressure adjustment device may adjust the pressure in the
evaporation chamber to a pressure lower than a saturated vapor
pressure of the cooling medium.
A vapor discharge passage through which a vapor obtained by
evaporating the cooling medium is discharged to the outside of the
evaporation chamber may be connected to the evaporation
chamber.
The wet surface forming device may be a cooling medium spray device
which forms the wet surface by spraying the cooling medium to the
rear surface of the temperature adjustment surface.
The wet surface forming device may include a cooling medium
container in which at least a part of the rear surface of the
temperature adjustment surface is immersed in the cooling medium,
and form the wet surface by supplying the cooling medium to the
rear surface of the temperature adjustment surface due to surface
tension of the cooling medium.
The wet surface forming device may be a shower device which forms
the wet surface by spraying the cooling medium to the rear surface
of the temperature adjustment surface.
The wet surface forming device may have a porous film provided on
the rear surface of the temperature adjustment surface and form the
wet surface by supplying the cooling medium to the rear surface of
the temperature adjustment surface through the porous film.
The component member in the processing chamber may be a substrate
holding stage on which the substrate is held or a shower head which
faces the substrate holding stages with a processing space
therebetween.
The cooling medium may be water.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a temperature adjustment method including: forming a
surface wet with a cooling medium by supplying the cooling medium
to a rear surface of a temperature adjustment surface of a
component member in a processing chamber of a substrate processing
device including the processing chamber which performs
predetermined processing on a substrate and is vacuum-exhaustible;
and adjusting a temperature of the temperature adjustment surface
due to latent heat of evaporation of the cooling medium by
evaporating the cooling medium which forms the wet surface by
adjusting a pressure in an evaporation chamber which isolates the
wet surface from an atmosphere around the wet surface.
The forming of the wet surface may include controlling the
temperature of the temperature adjustment surface based on the
pressure in the evaporation chamber and/or an amount of the cooling
medium supplied.
After the pressure in the evaporation chamber is set to a pressure
lower than a saturated vapor pressure of the cooling medium, the
amount of the cooling medium supplied is adjusted, thereby
controlling the temperature of the temperature adjustment
surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other features and advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent by describing in detail
exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a substrate
processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present
invention, and a partially enlarged view thereof;
FIG. 2 is a graph showing a relationship between a pressure in an
evaporation chamber and a temperature of a temperature adjustment
surface in the present embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a graph showing a relationship between an amount of
processed heat and an amount of a cooling medium supplied to a
temperature adjustment unit in the present embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a first
modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to
the present embodiment of the present invention, and a partially
enlarged view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a graph showing a relationship between an amount of
processed heat and an amount of water supplied to a water container
in the first modified example of the substrate processing apparatus
according to the present embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a second
modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to
the present embodiment of the present invention, and a partially
enlarged view thereof; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a third
modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to
the present embodiment of the present invention, and a partially
enlarged view thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will now be described more fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary
embodiments of the invention are shown.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a substrate
processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present
invention, and a partially enlarged view thereof.
Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes
a processing chamber (chamber) 11 which performs predetermined
plasma processing such as etching, film formation, or the like, on
a substrate and is vacuum-exhaustible. A substrate holding stage
(susceptor) 12 is provided at a center of a lower portion in the
chamber 11. The substrate is held on a top surface 12a of the
susceptor 12. A first high frequency power source 13 is connected
to the susceptor 12 with a first matcher (not shown) therebetween,
and the first high frequency power source 13 applies high frequency
power for bias of a relatively low frequency, for example, 2 MHz,
to the susceptor 12. The susceptor 12 serves as a lower
electrode.
A shower head 14 is disposed in a ceiling portion to face the
susceptor 12 with a processing space S therebetween. A second high
frequency power source 15 is connected to the shower head 14 with a
second matcher (not shown) therebetween, and the second high
frequency power source 15 applies high frequency power for plasma
generation of a relatively high frequency, for example, 60 MHz, to
the shower head 14. The shower head 14 serves as an upper
electrode.
In the substrate processing apparatus 10, the top surface 12a of
the susceptor 12, as a component member in the chamber, is a
temperature adjustment surface. That is, in the chamber 11, when
predetermined plasma processing is performed on the substrate (not
shown), the substrate is heated due to heat input from plasma to,
for example, 300.degree. C. or higher. An optimal processing
temperature of the substrate in plasma etching is, for example,
about 40.degree. C. Accordingly, the top surface 12a of the
susceptor 12 is a temperature adjustment surface which needs to be
cooled by using a temperature adjustment unit in order to reduce a
temperature of the substrate to the optimal processing
temperature.
Here, a temperature adjustment surface refers to a surface of a
component member which is disposed in the chamber and whose surface
temperature needs to be adjusted to a predetermined temperature for
a substrate processing purpose. Also, the component member in the
chamber is a broad concept including a member constituting an inner
wall of the chamber 11.
A temperature adjustment device for adjusting a temperature of a
temperature adjustment surface mainly includes: a plurality of
water spray devices 16 which form a surface wet with a cooling
medium, for example, a surface wet with water, on a rear surface
12b (hereinafter, referred to as a rear surface of the susceptor)
which is a closest surface to the top surface 12a of the susceptor
12 (hereinafter, referred to as a surface of the susceptor); an
evaporation chamber 17 which isolates the wet surface formed on the
rear surface 12b of the susceptor 12 from an atmosphere around the
wet surface; a manometer 20 which monitors a pressure in the
evaporation chamber 17; and a pressure adjustment device which
adjusts the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17. The pressure
adjustment device includes an exhaust pipe 18 connected to the
evaporation chamber 17, an exhaust pump (not shown) connected to
the exhaust pipe 18, and an APC valve 19 which controls the
pressure in the evaporation chamber 17.
In the substrate processing apparatus 10 configured as described
above, a temperature of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12 as a
temperature adjustment surface is adjusted as follows.
That is, first, water is supplied as a cooling medium to the water
spray devices 16 through a water supply pipe (not shown) from a
water storage tank which contains the water, the water is upwardly
sprayed as shown in a partially enlarged view I of FIG. 1 from the
water spray devices 16, and a surface wet with the water of a
cooling medium is formed on the rear surface 12b of the susceptor
12.
In this case, an amount of the water sprayed is large enough to
form a uniformly thin water film over the entire rear surface 12b
of the susceptor 12. Also, at this time, an inside of the
evaporation chamber 17 is depressurized by using the exhaust pump,
and the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17 is adjusted to a
pressure slightly lower than a saturated vapor pressure of the
water by using the APC valve 19. Since the pressure in the
evaporation chamber 17 is adjusted to a pressure slightly lower
than the saturated vapor pressure of the water, the water on the
wet surface formed on the rear surface 12b of the susceptor 12 is
evaporated, heat corresponding to latent heat during evaporation of
the water is removed at this time, and each of the rear surface 12b
of the susceptor 12 and the surface 12a of the susceptor 12, which
is a temperature adjustment surface, is cooled to a predetermined
temperature.
An operation of each component member of the substrate processing
apparatus 10 is controlled by a CPU of a control unit included in
the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to a program
corresponding to temperature adjustment process.
According to the present embodiment, since a surface wet with water
as a cooling medium is formed on the rear surface 12b of the
surface 12a of the susceptor 12 as a temperature adjustment surface
and the water which forms the wet surface is evaporated by
adjusting the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17, which
isolates the wet surface from an atmosphere around the wet surface,
to cool not only the rear surface 12b of the susceptor 12 but also
the surface 12a of the susceptor 12 by using latent heat of
evaporation of the water, a configuration of the apparatus can be
simplified and an installation space can be reduced compared to a
conventional temperature adjustment apparatus which circulates a
cooling medium.
That is, according to the present embodiment, although a pipe for
supplying water as a cooling medium is needed, since the supplied
water is discharged as vapor to the outside of the evaporation
chamber through the exhaust pipe 18, a pipe for discharging the
water is not necessary. Accordingly, a temperature control device
of a chiller and a heat-shielding structure of a coolant pipe,
which are conventionally necessary, become unnecessary.
Accordingly, the present embodiment can be widely applied from a
substrate processing apparatus having a small installation space to
a large substrate processing apparatus in which a temperature of a
surface of a component member having a large area needs to be
adjusted. In particular, the present embodiment is suitable for a
substrate processing apparatus in which it is difficult to secure a
circulation passage for a cooling medium.
In the present embodiment, the temperature of the surface 12a of
the susceptor 12, which is a temperature adjustment surface, is
controlled based on an amount of water supplied to the water spray
devices 16 and the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17. Since
latent heat of evaporation of the water is rarely changed due to
pressure, the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17 may be a
primary control condition and the amount of the water supplied to
the water spray devices 16 may be a secondary control
condition.
That is, a saturated vapor pressure of water at which the
temperature of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12 is a desired
temperature may be obtained, the pressure in the evaporation
chamber 17 may be maintained at the saturated vapor pressure, and
with respect to heat input which varies slightly such as heat input
from plasma, an amount of the water supplied may be adjusted,
thereby controlling the saturated vapor pressure to be maintained
as long as possible. Also, with respect to a sudden input of heat,
the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17 may be quickly reduced,
thereby increasing an amount of the water evaporated.
In the present embodiment, if heat input from plasma in the
susceptor 12 is processed or retrieved by using a temperature
adjustment unit, latent heat of evaporation of water is, for
example, 2257 kJ/kg, and the heat input from the plasma is A
kJ/sec, the heat input from the plasma may be retrieved and
processed by controlling evaporation of the water to be A/2257
kg/sec.
In the present embodiment, the temperature of the surface 12a of
the susceptor 12, which is a temperature adjustment surface, may be
adjusted to be within a range, for example, from 0.degree. C. to
80.degree. C., by using water at room temperature as a cooling
medium.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing a relationship between the pressure in
the evaporation chamber 17 and the temperature of the surface 12a
of the susceptor 12a in the present embodiment.
In FIG. 2, it is found that the temperature of the surface 12a of
the susceptor 12 is about 10.degree. C. when the pressure in the
evaporation chamber 17 is reduced to 1230 Pa, and the temperature
of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12 is about 0.degree. C. when
the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17 is reduced to 610 Pa
from a state where the pressure in the evaporation chamber 17 is
50000 Pa and the temperature of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12
is adjusted to 80.degree. C. Also, the temperature of the surface
12a of the susceptor 12 may be reduced to, for example, about
-10.degree. C. by setting each condition. In this case, since there
is a risk that a water supply passage may be frozen, a heater for
preventing freezing may be provided in the water supply
passage.
In the present embodiment, an amount of heat which can be processed
varies according to an amount of water supplied to the water spray
devices 16, in other words, an amount of evaporated water.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing a relationship between an amount of water
supplied to the water spray devices 16 and an amount of processed
heat in the present embodiment. Also, in FIG. 3, which is a graph
showing a relationship between the amount of supplied water and the
amount of processed heat when the pressure in the evaporation
chamber 17 is 5000 Pa, it is found that the amount of processed
heat is increased in proportion to the amount of supplied water (an
amount of evaporated water).
In the present embodiment, a temperature of a surface of the
susceptor 12 may be partially adjusted. That is, a central portion
and a peripheral portion of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12 may
be adjusted to different temperatures. In this case, wet surface
forming devices, for example, the water spray devices 16, the
evaporation chambers 17, and the pressure adjustment devices 18 and
19, are respectively provided on a portion of the rear surface 12b
of the susceptor corresponding to the central portion of the
surface 12a of the susceptor 12 and on a portion of the rear
surface 12b of the susceptor 12 corresponding to the peripheral
portion of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12, and are
individually independently controlled to partially adjust the
temperature of the surface 12a of the susceptor 12. There may be
one or more predetermined portions which are temperature adjustment
surfaces, and a wet surface forming device and a pressure
adjustment device are provided on each temperature adjustment
portion. Also, in the present embodiment, a surface temperature
distribution of the susceptor 12 may be adjusted by changing a time
of spraying water from the water spray devices on a temperature
adjustment surface.
In the present embodiment, examples of component members in the
chamber may include various members including the shower head 14, a
deposition shield (not shown), a focus ring (not shown), and a
shield ring (not shown) as well as the susceptor 12, and surfaces
of these members may be temperature adjustment surfaces.
In the present embodiment, although a surface wet with water is
formed on the rear surface 12b of the surface 12a of the susceptor
12, which is a temperature adjustment surface, there may be
considered a case where it is difficult to form a wet surface on a
rear surface of a component member. In this case, a surface wet
with water may be formed on a surface closest to a temperature
adjustment surface, for example, a side surface adjacent to a rear
surface of the temperature adjustment surface.
In the present embodiment, although water which is optimal as a
cooling medium is used a liquid having high latent heat of
evaporation such as methanol or ammonia may be used instead of the
water.
Next, modified examples of the substrate processing apparatus
according to the present embodiment of the present invention will
be explained.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a first
modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to
the present embodiment of the present invention, and a partially
enlarged view thereof.
In FIG. 4, in the substrate processing apparatus, a rear surface
22b facing a surface 22a of a susceptor 22 is an uneven surface on
which a plurality of convex portions are formed, an evaporation
chamber 24 which isolates the uneven surface from an atmosphere
around the uneven surface, and a water container 23 which is
disposed in the evaporation chamber 24 is provided, the convex
portions of the rear surface 22b of the susceptor 22 are partially
immersed in the water container 23, and a wet surface is formed by
supplying water as a cooling medium to the rear surface 22b of the
susceptor 22 by using surface tension as shown in a partially
enlarged view IV of FIG. 4. Then, in the same manner as that of the
present embodiment, the surface 22a of the susceptor 22 is cooled
by using latent heat of evaporation when the water which forms the
wet surface is evaporated.
Even in the first modified example of the present embodiment, like
in the present embodiment, since a temperature adjustment device
which can reduce an installation space and simplify a configuration
of the apparatus can be realized, a temperature of a temperature
adjustment surface can be efficiently adjusted to a predetermined
temperature. Also, in the first modified example of the present
embodiment, a surface temperature distribution of the susceptor 22
may be adjusted by changing sparseness or denseness of the uneven
surface on the temperature adjustment surface.
An experiment example using the first modified example of the
present embodiment will be explained below.
When the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 4 is used and there
is heat input (not shown) from the surface 22a of the susceptor 22,
an amount of water supplied to the water container 23 to maintain a
temperature of the surface 22a of the susceptor 22 at 25.degree. C.
by using latent heat of evaporation of the water was examined. As a
result, it was found that an amount of heat input from the surface
22a of the susceptor 22 and the amount of water supplied to the
water container 23 have a good correlation.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing a relationship between an amount of heat
input from the surface 22a of the susceptor 22 and an amount of
water supplied to the water container 23 when a pressure in the
chamber is 670 Pa.
In FIG. 5, as the amount of heat input from the surface 22a is
increased, the amount of water supplied to the water container 23
is continuously increased. In such a substrate processing
apparatus, if there is no change in the amount of heat input from
the surface 22a of the susceptor 22 and the amount of water
supplied to the water container 23 is maintained constant, the
temperature of the surface 22a of the susceptor 22 can be
maintained at 25.degree. C. semi-permanently.
Another modified example of the substrate processing apparatus
according to the present embodiment of the present invention will
be explained.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a second
modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to
the present embodiment of the present invention, and a partially
enlarged view thereof.
In FIG. 6, in the substrate processing apparatus, a plurality of
shower devices 33 are provided in an evaporation chamber 34 which
surrounds a rear surface 32b of a susceptor 32, a surface wet with
water is formed on the rear surface 32b of the susceptor 32 as
shown in a partially enlarged view VI of FIG. 6 by using the shower
devices 33, and the water, as a cooling medium, which forms the wet
surface is evaporated by adjusting a pressure in the evaporation
chamber 34.
Even in the second modified example of the present embodiment, like
in the present embodiment, due to a temperature adjustment device
which can reduce an installation space and simplify a configuration
of the apparatus, a temperature of a temperature adjustment surface
can be efficiently adjusted.
Another modified example of the substrate processing apparatus
according to the present embodiment of the present invention will
be explained.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing main parts of a third
modified example of the substrate processing apparatus according to
the present embodiment of the present invention, and a partially
enlarged view thereof.
In FIG. 7, in the substrate processing apparatus, a porous layer 43
is disposed to contact a rear surface 42b of a susceptor 42, and
water is supplied as a cooling medium from a water supply source
(not shown) to the porous layer 43 to exude out from a surface of
the porous layer 43, with the surface of the porous layer 43 being
adjacent to an evaporation room 44, and thus a surface wet with the
water is formed on the surface of the porous layer 43.
Then, in the same manner as that of the present embodiment, the
water which forms the wet surface is evaporated by adjusting a
pressure in the evaporation chamber 44 by using a pressure
adjustment device (not shown), and thus a temperature of a surface
42a of the susceptor 42 is adjusted by using latent heat of
evaporation.
Even in the third modified example of the present embodiment, like
in the present embodiment, since a temperature adjustment device
which can reduce an installation space and simplify a configuration
of the apparatus can be realized, a temperature of a temperature
adjustment surface can be efficiently adjusted.
Also, in all of the above embodiment and modified examples of the
present invention, when a substrate has a large diameter, a
gradient temperature difference between an outlet of a cooling
medium and an inlet of the cooling medium resulting from an
increase in a length of a cooling medium passage can be simply
suppressed by uniformly forming a wet surface.
According to the present invention, since a temperature adjustment
unit which can reduce an installation space and simplify a
configuration of an apparatus can be realized, a temperature of a
temperature adjustment surface of a component member in a
processing chamber can be efficiently adjusted to a predetermined
temperature.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, the
present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It will be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various
changes in form and details may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by
the following claims.
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